As technology advances, communication of content-rich media such as three-dimensional drawings, video, and software applications requires more information to be communicated faster than ever. Fiber optical channels can handle much more information than can wires. The slowest part of a fiber optic communication channel at present is the fiber optic switching devices. At present, optical signals are switched using various methods that are activated by solid state transistors, and so are bound by the speed of the solid state transistors, e.g., approximately 10E-9 seconds. U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,411, entitled OPTICAL SWITCH, makes mention of a switch that includes a piezoelectric element. However, the piezoelectric element is activated by a solid-state transistor and therefore is bound by solid state transistor switching speeds.